Shovhakant Poudel appointed as DG of customs department

KATHMANDU: Joint Secretary Shohvakant Poudel has been appointed as the head of the department of customs, which has been vacant for three weeks. The post of director general was vacant after Chakra Bahadur Budha, who was appointed last November, was transferred to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation in the last week of Baisakh.

Poudel, who was transferred from the Ministry of Water Supply to the Ministry of Finance a few days ago, is one of the former Joint Secretaries attached to the revenue administration. Budha was appointed as the director general of department of customs last November and was transferred in five months.

Poudel was transferred from the director deneral of the Inland Revenue Department on February,  and was placed in the additional group without being given work for five months and sent to the Ministry of Water Supply.

Poudel was transferred by the then Finance Minister Janardan Sharma. Finance Minister Prakash Saran Mahat has now sent Poudel when the customs revenue collection is low in the current year. Poudel, who is known as an expert in finance, was criticized for being placed in other governmental agencies.